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Real Madrid against FC Barcelona was the rivalry that reigned at the start of the last decade. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s form was directly related to that of Barca and Madrid, and fans at both clubs were still at odds over who would win. However, things have changed now.
Real Madrid lost Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in 2018, and the Portuguese striker has since changed clubs to return to Manchester United. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi finally left FC Barcelona this summer and joined French club Paris Saint Germain. Their departures had direct effects on the two La Liga giants.
Real Madrid and their decline after selling Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid went through a period of crisis, where they fired two managers in one season and needed Zinedine Zidane to step up. This season Madrid coach is Carlo Ancelotti, who earned them La Decima, Madrid’s 10th UEFA Champions League title.
Madrid lead the La Liga standings and have advanced to the UCL round of 16. Carlo Ancelotti is very happy with this team which is now running at full speed. In a recent interview, Ancelotti spoke about his eternal rival, FC Barcelona.
“A direct rival? No. They are further than Sevilla, Atletico, Betis, ”said the Italian.
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The facts behind Carlo Ancelotti’s statements
This is a huge statement to make for a club that have rivaled Madrid closely for decades. While Madrid opens the lead at the top of the standings, FC Barcelona occupies 7th place, 15 points behind Madrid.
Lionel Messi’s departure has hurt the club and after sacking manager Ronald Koeman and appointing former midfielder Xavi. The move made sense when they did, but after looking at their form at the moment Barcelona haven’t improved and the club are still struggling under the guidance of a manager who has only ever managed only one other club in his career.
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